Ji Cheng was the first to react. He cried out, "Father!" in anguish and hurried into the room.
Next came Ji Yunhuai's three aunts, tears already streaming down their faces.
Old Master Ji's eldest son, Ji Ming, went in a little later. He was the man whom Old Master Ji had stripped of his inheritance rights and treated coldly for using underhanded tactics against Ji Cheng. He looked distracted, as though he was only there to go through the motions. There was even a certain satisfaction in his eyes.
Ji Yunhuai was the last to enter.
From the moment the doctor had said, "There's nothing more we can do," his body had gone stiff.
He stood there for another two seconds, unable to tell whether he simply couldn't believe it or was trying to brace himself. In any case, when he finally stepped through the door, his feet felt impossibly heavy.
Those who had entered first were already making a commotion.
Their cries and calls rose and fell, overlapping in a chaotic jumble before dissolving into a meaningless hum. Only the beeping of the heart monitor remained clear and steady.
Old Master Ji lay with his eyes half-closed, tubes covering his body. He looked terribly weak.
The old man, a veteran who was stern and sharp most of the time, now had no color in his lips. His unfocused gaze stared into empty space, his eyes clouded in a way none of them had ever seen.
Ji Yunhuai's gaze settled on him. He wanted to call him "Grandpa," but he couldn't get the word out.
His throat tightened. He kept feeling as though he was dreaming.
Not long ago, Old Master Ji had been full of energy and delight as he held a banquet to celebrate Ji Yunhuai winning that